Special Education Degree Options

The University of Idaho’s special education program and coursework is offered as an online course of study that is designed with your major professor or advisor. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction special education program offers a master’s program with four tracks.

The bachelor’s/master’s track is available to undergraduate students at the University of Idaho who want to complete an undergraduate degree in elementary or secondary education plus a master’s degree in special education in five years. Graduate courses are taken after one semester of elementary or secondary internship. This program is designed for students who want to become special education teachers. Students graduate with dual certification, making their options for professional employment broader than the four-year single major program.

A master’s-only track is available for experienced special educators who have a bachelor’s degree in special education or a closely-related field. This track is appropriate for individuals who wish to earn a master’s degree while expanding their knowledge of the field. In this track, students register for a number of common courses covering topics designed to broaden teachers’ knowledge of special education strategies and promote professional development. Students also select, in conjunction with their advisor, additional classes to enhance their knowledge in a selected area of focus or may pursue the endorsement of Consulting Teacher. Students in this track culminate their experience with a master’s project, designed by working with their faculty advisor.

The master’s plus certification track is available to people new to special education and affords the opportunity to earn a degree while gaining initial Special Education Exceptional Child K-12 teaching preparation and certification. Students who pursue this track will exit with the master’s degree and an Idaho teaching certification in Exception Child Generalist. Because this track results in initial preparation in special education, coursework is paired with field experience so that students will gain the opportunity to link their subject knowledge to pedagogy and practice. The culminating activity for students in this track is a semester long teaching internship during which students will gain valuable hands-on experience. Candidates in this track already will hold an elementary or secondary teaching certificate and have no previous degree in special education.

The master’s plus special program area track is available, as state funding supports are available, to concentrate on a special program of focus. In this track, students register for a number of designated courses covering topics designed to broaden teachers’ knowledge of special education strategies and promote professional development. Students in this track culminate their experience with a master’s project, designed by working with their faculty advisor.